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Posted by Nataliya Stanetsky, Android Safety and Privateness Crew
Retaining Google Play protected for customers and builders stays a high precedence for Google. As customers more and more prioritize their digital privateness and safety, we proceed to put money into our Information Security part and transparency labeling efforts to assist customers make extra knowledgeable selections concerning the apps they use.
Analysis reveals that clear safety labeling performs a vital position in client danger notion, constructing belief, and influencing product buying choices. We imagine the identical rules apply for labeling and badging within the Google Play retailer. The transparency of an app’s knowledge safety and privateness play a key position in a consumer’s determination to obtain, belief, and use an app.
Highlighting Independently Safety Examined VPN Apps
Final 12 months, App Protection Alliance (ADA) launched MASA (Cellular App Safety Evaluation), which permits builders to have their apps independently validated in opposition to a world safety commonplace. This indicators to customers that an impartial third-party has validated that the builders designed their apps to fulfill these business cellular safety and privateness minimal greatest practices and the builders are going the additional mile to determine and mitigate vulnerabilities. This, in flip, makes it tougher for attackers to achieve customers’ gadgets and improves app high quality throughout the ecosystem. Upon completion of the profitable validation, Google Play provides builders the choice to declare an “Unbiased safety assessment” badge in its Information Security part, as proven within the picture under. Whereas certification to baseline safety requirements doesn’t suggest {that a} product is freed from vulnerabilities, the badge related to these validated apps helps customers see at-a-glance {that a} developer has prioritized safety and privateness practices and dedicated to consumer security.
To assist in giving customers a simplified view of which apps have undergone an impartial safety validation, we’re introducing a brand new Google Play retailer banner for particular app sorts, beginning with VPN apps. We’ve launched this banner starting with VPN apps because of the delicate and vital quantity of consumer knowledge these apps deal with. When a consumer searches for VPN apps, they’ll now see a banner on the high of Google Play that educates them concerning the “Unbiased safety assessment” badge within the Information Security Part. Customers even have the power to “Study Extra”, which redirects them to the App Validation Listing, a centralized place to view all VPN apps which were independently safety reviewed. Customers also can uncover extra technical evaluation particulars within the App Validation Listing, serving to them to make extra knowledgeable choices about what VPN apps to obtain, use, and belief with their knowledge.
VPN suppliers equivalent to NordVPN, Google One, ExpressVPN, and others have already undergone impartial safety testing and publicly declared the badge displaying their good standing with the MASA program. We encourage and anticipate extra VPN app builders to bear impartial safety testing, bringing much more transparency to customers. If you’re a VPN developer and enthusiastic about studying extra about this characteristic, please submit this manner.
Our Dedication to App Safety and Privateness Transparency on Google Play
By encouraging impartial safety testing and displaying safety badges for validated apps, we spotlight builders who prioritize consumer security and knowledge transparency. We additionally present builders with app safety and privateness greatest practices – via Play PolicyBytes movies, webinars, weblog posts, the Developer Assist Neighborhood, and different assets – in accordance with our developer insurance policies that assist preserve Google Play protected. We’re regularly engaged on enhancements to our app assessment course of, insurance policies, and applications to maintain customers protected and to assist builders navigate our insurance policies with ease. To be taught extra about how we give builders the instruments to succeed whereas preserving customers protected on Google Play, learn the Google Security Middle article.
Our efforts to prioritize safety and privateness transparency on Google Play are aligned with the wants and expectations we’ve heard from each customers and builders. We imagine that by prioritizing initiatives that bolster consumer security and belief, we are able to foster a thriving app ecosystem the place customers could make extra knowledgeable app choices and builders are inspired to uphold the very best requirements of safety and privateness.
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